Tephra Institute Of Contemporary Art, Inc.

What Tephra Institute Of Contemporary Art, Inc. does

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) is a 501c3 non-profit, non-collecting contemporary art institution headquartered at 12001 Market Street #103 in Reston, Virginia, with a satellite gallery, Tephra ICA at Signature, at 11850 Freedom Drive. The institution's product portfolio comprises four core offerings: rotating contemporary art exhibitions at its two gallery venues, the annual Tephra ICA Arts Festival at Reston Town Center (celebrating 35 years in 2026 with over 200 artists from across the country), educational and community programs (events, tours, workshops, game nights), and the year-round satellite gallery at the Signature apartment building developed in partnership with Sterling Investors and Simpson Housing. Admission to exhibitions and programs is free, distinguishing the institution from collecting museums and positioning it as a community-facing contemporary art platform rather than a permanent-collection custodian.

Tephra ICA's revenue model is that of a community-supported non-profit. Income derives from individual memberships, charitable donations, corporate sponsorships (with Capital One Hall serving as Title Sponsor for the 2026 festival), grants, ancillary facility rental, and festival participation fees from juried artists. Go-to-market is community-led, executed through Facebook, Instagram, a Constant Contact email newsletter, the tephraica.org website, and digital festival and audio guides. The institution is governed by a board of directors and led by Executive Director Jonell Logan, with Judith Forst recognized as festival founder; the organization operates exclusively within Reston and Northern Virginia and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or disclosed financial figures.

The organization does not operate any proprietary technology platform, software product, or AI/ML capability. Its intellectual and operational assets are curatorial — exhibition programming, community relationships, sponsor partnerships, and a 35-year institutional history — rather than technological. No patents, trademarks, API products, or data assets are disclosed. Marketing and audience engagement rely on conventional non-profit channels rather than digital products.

Name

Tephra Institute Of Contemporary Art, Inc.

Legal name

Tephra Institute Of Contemporary Art, Inc.

Website

https://tephraica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art is a 501c3 non-profit, non-collecting contemporary art institution in Reston, Virginia that connects Northern Virginia communities to contemporary art through rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and an annual juried arts festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: As a 501c3 non-profit organization, Tephra ICA relies on membership programs and charitable donations from supporters.
2. Arts Festival: Annual competitive juried arts festival featuring over 200 artists, generating revenue through festival participation and sponsorship.
3. Facility Rental: Gallery space available for facility rental as mentioned in site navigation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tephra ICA is a 501c3 non-profit, non-collecting contemporary art institution that presents rotating exhibitions of contemporary art by local, regional, and national artists at its main Reston gallery and the Tephra ICA at Signature satellite location. The institution also hosts an annual competitive juried Arts Festival featuring over 200 artists at Reston Town Center, delivers educational and community programs (tours, workshops, game nights, artist engagement), and offers gallery facility rentals, all with free admission to visitors.

Product overview

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) is a non-collecting contemporary art institution offering a portfolio of programs including rotating exhibitions at its main gallery and satellite location (Tephra ICA at Signature), the annual Tephra ICA Arts Festival, and educational/community programs. The institution serves as a 501c3 non-profit committed to promoting innovative contemporary art and connecting Reston and Northern Virginia to contemporary artists and the broader art world. Admission is free.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tephra ICA Exhibitions Rotating contemporary art exhibitions featuring local, regional, and national artists, presented at the main gallery and the Tephra ICA at Signature satellite location. Free admission; intended for general public visitors and art enthusiasts in Reston and Northern Virginia.
• Tephra ICA Arts Festival Annual competitive juried outdoor arts festival featuring over 200 contemporary artists, held at Reston Town Center with the 2026 event being the 35th anniversary. Includes Festival Awards of Excellence (twelve artists each receiving a $500 cash prize, booth ribbons, and automatic juried entry for next year's festival) and a People's Choice Award honoring founder Judith Forst.
• Tephra ICA Programs Educational and community programs including tours, game nights, workshops, and artist engagement activities. Open to general public visitors and community members.
• Tephra ICA at Signature (Satellite Gallery) Satellite gallery at 11850 Freedom Drive, Reston, presenting a year-round schedule of exhibitions featuring local and regional artists. Open Wednesday–Saturday, 11am–5pm; presented in partnership with Sterling Investors, Simpson Housing, and sponsored by Reston Community Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 years of continuous arts festival programming
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered title sponsor, core and minor.

• Capital One Halltitle sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Capital One Hall returning as Title Sponsor for the 2026 Tephra ICA Arts Festival. Festival is generously sponsored by Capital One Hall as part of their support for the arts in the region.
• Sterling Investors and Simpson HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tephra ICA at Signature satellite gallery space located at the Signature apartment building. Provides innovative satellite gallery presenting year-round schedule of exhibitions featuring local and regional artists.
• Reston Community CentercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerous sponsor of Tephra ICA at Signature satellite gallery space, supporting the presentation of local and regional contemporary artists.
• Workhouse Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides daily Glass Blowing Demo with mobile glass studio during festival weekend at Reston Town Square Park.
• Reston Town Center AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresents Reston Concerts on the Town during festival weekend with extended Sip & Stroll hours at the pavilion.
• Fairfax County VA250 CommissionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting festival as part of recognition of American craft traditions for the 250th Anniversary of the United States.
• Public Art RestonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring Festival Art Park activities hosted by South Lakes High School STEAM Team.
• South Lakes High School STEAM TeamminorOthersHosting Festival Art Park with free art projects and activities during festival weekend.
• Washington Sculptors GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative exhibition partner for Ephemeral exhibition held in conjunction with the organization's programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arlington Arts Center: A nonprofit contemporary art center in Arlington, VA presenting rotating exhibitions, artist residencies, and education programs. Direct comparable on size, mission, and DC-metro nonprofit gallery positioning.
• VisArts: A nonprofit visual arts center in Rockville, MD offering exhibitions, classes, and community programs. Comparable as a mid-size suburban DC-area contemporary art institution with similar exhibition-plus-education programming mix.
• Workhouse Arts Center: A nonprofit arts center in Lorton, VA housed in a former prison, featuring galleries, artist studios, and special events. Direct peer in scale, mission, and Northern Virginia geography; both deliver free contemporary art programming plus community festivals.
• Torpedo Factory Art Center: A community art center in Alexandria, VA operating artist studios, galleries, and exhibitions in a converted torpedo factory. Closely comparable as a regional, free-admission contemporary art venue serving the DC metro with rotating exhibitions and artist programs.
• McLean Project for the Arts: A nonprofit gallery in McLean, VA focused on contemporary art exhibitions and arts education within Fairfax County. Closely comparable as a Fairfax County contemporary art nonprofit serving a similar affluent catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian American Art Museum: National museum in Washington, DC presenting American contemporary and modern art. Sets the regional competitive context for DC-metro contemporary art programming and competes for the same donor and audience pool as Tephra ICA.
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: Smithsonian museum of modern and contemporary art on the National Mall. Comparable on contemporary art focus and regional relevance; an established incumbent that defines the upper end of the DC contemporary art landscape.

Regional players

• Reston Community Center: Local government-run community center in Reston that sponsors Tephra ICA at Signature and provides arts programming in the same catchment. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but operates in overlapping community arts space.

Others

• National Arts Club: Membership-based nonprofit arts organization presenting exhibitions and cultural programming. Useful comparable for the membership-and-donation revenue model and 501c3 governance structure, though national rather than regional in scope.
• Capital One Hall: Performing arts venue in Tysons, VA serving as Title Sponsor of Tephra ICA's festival. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but represents the regional performing-arts/venues category that shapes sponsor and audience overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TephraICA
• Instagraminstagram.com/tephra_ica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-reston-arts-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tephra Institute Of Contemporary Art, Inc.